The Consequences of Our Actions
by Hahahathegreat
Summary: Modern AU. When Arya takes a summer internship at Tywin's company, she inadvertently becomes pregnant with his child. What happens afterwards is a story of drama, intrigue, and love. Features world in which Tywin and Ned own mobile phone companies. Features Arya/Tywin Sansa/Sandor.
1. Chapter 1

Authors note: This story features a 18 year old arya and a early fifties Tywin, the relationship between Tywin and Arya was inspired by the television shows betrayal of it and not so much of the book, later in the story i do plan to feature a lot of very technical aspects and deal heavily with Tywin's business. Reviews would be awesome and if anyone would like to become my editor please pm me.

_July 26th, 2014_

Arya found her way to her seat, 2a, in the front of first class. She had always despised flying and now it seemed even less appealing, with the throwing up and all. But that didn't matter she would have to deal with the twelve hour flight from Titan International, to Casterly Rock International.

After taking her seat she watched as Tywin Lannister stored his carry on in the compartment and took his seat by the window. He immediately took upon the impassive face that he had been wearing ever since she had told him the news.

Settling down she began to think upon how this had all happened, it hadn't been the missed period, since those had usually come on their own time with no real regularity, but the nausea and finally throwing up that had sent her to the doctor. Expecting to hear that she had contracted the flu or something similar, shocked wasn't an appropriately extreme word to describe her feelings when she had been told that she was pregnant. She, Arya, the wild one , horse face arya, pregnant, how could this be she wondered.

"This is your captain speaking." Blaired over the loudspeakers taking her out of her spiraling train of thought. "Today we're going to be cruising at thirty thousand feet." It was the same nonsense as always and Arya drowned it out almost as soon as the captain began to talk, wanting nothing more to be left to her whirling sea of emotions.

It wasn't till about half way through the take off that she noticed the agitated look upon Tywin's face. He must have noticed her gazed because he looked at her and said, "never enjoyed flying, feel like a canned sardine in here."

They stared at each other in silently for a long moment before Tywin again spoke, "I'm sorry that this has happened, it was never my."

"Just shut up about it", Arya said cutting him off. She wanted silence not his pity. Closing her eyes she thought back to how this whole thing had began.

Wanting to join the army had really been her dream but her father, Ned Stark, had convinced her to least spend her summer in an internship, with none other than her fathers biggest business rival, Tywin. Upon arrival at Braavos to Tywin's offices, she found herself quickly taking a liking to her work, for the first time she felt challenged intellectually, being the secretary to one of the best CEO's in business was no easy task. Yet through that challenge she had succeeded, quickly becoming not only a needed part in office life but an advisor to Tywin, someone he would often talk to while dealing with negotiations with the Braavos Telecom Company. It was in this time that it happened, one night Tywin asked to dinner, mostly as a friendly thing, and they had talked. Arya spoke of her childhood and what she wanted, while Tywin drank and spoke his lost wife and his children and while Tywin became drunker during his tale, Arya had become drunk upon his charisma. The deed happened at his apartment, both assuming safety in the other, Arya sure of his infertility and he sure of her taking contraceptives. So in that night of lust and pleasure something more had happened, Arya had become pregnant.

After discovering this Tywin had immediately said that they should fly back to Lannisport. Why he had not said but his intention had been clear, he wanted to deal with this, and probably quietly if possible. So Arya set here next to the father of the thing within her belly and wished she was dead.

Tywin felt the sting of her words, and watched as she immediately closed herself to him, he longed to reach out and comfort the girl, but knowing that it would probably infuriate her more he drew back. This girl, the one he had been so drawn to because of her intelligence, that now carried his child. This girl, who could be his own child and was younger than all of his, was with his child.

Arya when she first came to his office three months before had struck him as particularly sharp, and proven him right about that time and time again. Within almost a week of being at the offices he had learned he could trust her to complete almost any task he gave her, no matter what it was, she would complete them with exceptional quality. He had been planning to offer her a full time job. But her pregnancy would change that, really Tywin thought to himself, it would change everything. It had been so long since he had had a women, his late wife being his last, that he had forgotten himself with her, and so he would pay the consequences for his actions.

Now what would those consequences be, Tywin felt himself shift into his pragmatic thought zone, his place where he had always found solace and reason. Ned would be furious, but that could be dealt with, Catelyn would be delighted while probably a little bit creeped out, he .didn't blame her. The Stark children though where an unknown for him, as he did not know them well, but Tywin knew if he subdued the anger of Ned and Catelyn, the children would follow. The Starks could be reasoned with, Tywin mused, so they were not a threat, at least for the time being, an issue, not a threat.

Yet the Starks would not be his biggest headache, for his own family would present its own unique challenge's. Cersei would be angry and livid, but she was easy to manipulate when she got like that so she would not be a challenge, the same went for Jaime. Who he was truly worried about what Tyrion, the little shit had been wriggling his way up the power structure of the LMG (Lannister Mobile Group) for a long time and with a propensity to being too crafty, Tywin knew that Tyrion would be his true detractor in this case, the only one capable and willing to use Tywin's thoughtless actions against him. Another question arose within Tywin head, what would the board think of it, but that question he decided was for another time and anyway he had weathered all before, how would this be any different? So when it came down to it Tyrion was his only fear in this whole mess.

So how does one defend himself against the inevitable onslaught of Tyrion Lannister, Tywin mused over this for most of the flight, making plans and scheming, but never feeling like any of his idea's was really going to deal with Tyrion. Until it hit him, when you are going to be attacked, you simply strengthen your position. But how? Could he possibly some how use Arya pregnancy to his advantage, possibly try to make a merger with the Stark Mobile Industries Group, they had been losing market share and capital for a long time. Yet Tywin knew using Ned own daughter to give up a long cherished business was nigh on impossible, so how could he use this, another problem for him to mull over.

"You know, usually when people find out someone is pregnant they whoo and coo till their voices go out." Arya stated flatly, snapping Tywin back into reality. He must have been very deep in thought for her words to surprise him so.

"You as well as anyone should be able to recognise the seriousness of this situation", he replied.

"Don't patronise me, I know exactly what this situation is, a only grew tired of that dumb thinking face of yours", she said with a cruel japing face, Tywin thought though that he saw momentarily a face of utter terror.

"It usually doesn't help you to make fun of people". He said in his best fatherly tone.

"What are we going to do", she asked.

"What do you mean", it was with his words that he saw the face again, she was scarred. Realising this Tywin immediately saw a way to at least control the coming few days, which over all would give him a chance at better controlling the situation.

"You know what I mean", she retorted condescendingly.

"Well first I thought we should probably go to my house and get some sleep, and after that, well tell your family". He saw Arya visibly shudder.

"Do we have to tell them so soon"? She asked in the most timid voice he had ever heard her use.

"We'll have to someday, better now than later". Truth be told Tywin would have rather done it later too.

Tywin watched as Arya looked away, putting a hand on her stomach, and giving a face of indifference again.

He again reflected on the fact that he was old enough to be this girl's father, and quite possibly that in the coming months and years he would have to act like hers too.

Arya could feel his eyes burrowing into her back. She was scared, more scared than she probably had ever been before, scared of the unknown, scared of what was to come. How would her father react, how would her mother react. She didn't know, but she did know she would find out soon.


	2. Chapter 2

July 20th, 2014

The plane landed with the usual jolts, waking Arya from the nap she had fallen into. Looking past Tywin she could see Lannisport in the distance as they taxied down the runway to their terminal. Arya had never spent much time in Lannisport, spending most of her life in Winterfell. She had always been taken aback by the pure gaudiness of the city, resting against the sea, the city had always given her the feel of overwhelming opulence, something she was not keen to appreciate.

What Lannisport lacked in ruggedness and heart, Arya thought, it surely strived to make up with a cornucopia of wealth. Walking into the international terminal, she could almost feel it trying to impress her. As they walked to customs, she looked around at the glitzy ness of the whole affair, statues and pieces of art decked the halls. Most were boring pieces of modern and postmodern art, that seemed to scream that an overly self aware artist had toiled labouriously to crap them out. What the terminal lacked in artistic talent, it made up with in pure baroque stylings, gold trimmed everything filled her eyes, and looking above she saw a mural, a stag surrounded on both sides by two naked women.

"The council thought something to honor the Lannister family should be put in the terminal", Tywin said to her, having noticed her looking at it.

"Looks like shit", Arya replied, expecting to rouse some anger in the older man.

"Couldn't agree more", he replied, stalking off, and with one more glance at the mural Arya followed.

They soon came to customs, where Arya was greeted with the most gaudy sight of the day. A golden statue of two naked women both running, one with the hindquarters of a doe and the top of a woman, she seemed to be frozen in mid transformation, her face showing both strong resolve yet fear. The other women seemed to be leading the half doe one, her right arm and shoulder turned back towards the first hand outstretched as if to lead her, while her left hand held a babe to her bosom. Taken aback by the sight, Arya averted her eyes ahead to customs.

"Their called the twins of the sea", Tywin said behind her, "strange statue's for customs if you ask me".

Arya was inclined to agree but felt no urge to reply, keeping her thoughts to herself as she followed the snaking lines to the immigration officers.

"Anything to declare", the man behind the desk droned as Arya handed him her visa.

"Nothing", she replied as he looked over her visa.

"Welcome home Ms. Arya", the man said as he stamped her passport.

Walking off she watched as Tywin practically walked through customs, the officer immediately knowing who he was, and simply stamping his passport to let him through. They walked towards baggage claim in silence.

"I thought you liked to be treated equally to everyone else", Arya said remembering the talk a senior secretary had given her when she first came to the office, about how Tywin did not liked to be treated as equal to all the workers and how he treated them the same way.

"In the office, equality between boss and employ leads to a happier and more productive workplace", he said without even glancing at her, "but when I want to get somewhere I will always take the perks of my position".

So that's what it was, Tywin was equal to people when it benefited him, but the second it didn't matter he probably expected people to call him 'my lord' and some shit like that. How had she not seen this, how self centered and absorbed he was, she'd been taken in with him without even knowing what, what a brat he was. She snorted in disgust as her thoughts turned darker and darker.

Walking through baggage claim, Arya and Tywin were almost immediately swooped up by a gaggle of security people. Surrounding them and leading them outside towards a waiting limo.

Upon taking a seat Tywin looked at her, and she knew immediately that she must be showing her emotions, as he sighed and said, "so you think I abuse my station"? Of course he took advantage of it, her mind yelled, how could he not, he had taken advantage of her, it was he who had knocked her up, Arya thought feeling anger boil within her.

"Oh don't blame me for this", he said motioning his arms in a dismissive way, "you should not forget that you are just responsible for what has happened as me". Tywin looked at her for a long moment, "oh and stop your sulking, it makes your face all wrinkly"; laughing softly at his joke, Tywin looked away.

"You sound like my mother", she replied in a harsh sarcastic tone. "Maybe if I had listened to her advice and just signed into the damn army, instead of listening to Ned, I wouldn't be here", Arya heard herself say.

"You're acting like a child", Tywin replied with a bemused look on his face.

"Maybe I am a child", Arya practically yelled at.

"You know blaming other people doesn't help you", Tywin said in a soft almost fatherly tone, "it will only ostracize you from the people that you will need to lean on". A smirk covered his face, almost as if he was a father scolding a young child for doing something dumb.

"Oh don't give me that face", Arya said in an exasperated voice.

Looking out the window she watched the city go by as they travelled to wherever they were going. She didn't want to hear his lecture, even though she knew he was right, she just wanted this nightmare to be over. She wanted to go back to being wild and free, without cares, without worries, without some damn baby in her. She felt a tear start to form on her eye, Arya didn't cry she told herself trying to make her eye become a vacuum, especially in front of someone else. Yet try as she did the tear slid down her face, until she stopped it with her hand and wiped it away.

"We will arrive at my house soon", she heard Tywin say, "I'll call your father and have him come down tomorrow for dinner or something". His voice gave no indication to if he had seen her tear or not and for that Arya felt a little grateful.

The Lannister mansion was massive, Tywin told her as they entered that it had twenty bedrooms, and extremely dark. She watched as he led her to what seemed to be a living room, where left while going to cook something in the adjacent kitchen. Wanting to find something to do she looked around for the remote to the big flatscreen tv that sat in a corner. After a quick search she found it lying on a counter, as she went to pick it up she noticed a photo frame that was lying on its face. Intrigued she turned it over and looked at the picture. It was of a much younger Tywin and a probably eight year Jaime in a baseball uniform, they both smiled at her. Placing the frame on the table Arya for the first time realised the huge mass of photo's that covered the shelves, the Lannister children smiled at her, as if they were trying to comfort her through time. A young Cersei and Jaime smiled at her, both wearing football uniforms, in another frame Tyrion smiled at her behind a table and a chess board his mismatched eyes for once being warm and inviting rather than off putting. "Thanks but it can't help", she whispered while looking at the photos.

"A better time", Tywin said, making her jump a little, "a time when for at least a while I was happy".

"And what happened to those times"? Arya asked.

"They grew up and decided that I was their enemy and not the father", Tywin answered matter factly. "I hope you like mac and cheese" he said matter of factly walking towards the kitchen.

"Delicious" Arya muttered to herself following him.

They ate in silence, until after a point the sound of them masticating became too much for Arya to bear. "Do you know what you're doing"? She said giving him a quizzical look.

"No not really" he answered.

"Well that makes two of us".

"If it's any consolation", Tywin said with a very somber tone, "no one really does know. I didn't know the first time and I won't know now". For a moment he stared at her in silence and then a face of deliberation took over him before he began again and said, "really thats what everyone says, but really the truth is if you just care and try your best everything will work itself out".

"Ah Tywin your way with words comforts me so", Arya said with biting sarcasm.

Snorting Tywin looked at her and said, "at least I tried. Well it's late you should probably go to sleep, I'll tell you what's going on in the morning".

"Again, you keep sounding like my mother", she said getting up from the table.

Following Tywin out of the kitchen she followed him to the room where she would be spending the night. Putting her bag on a chair next to the bed, she turned to find Tywin leaning against the door staring at her. Raising her arms in a gesture of "what?" she looked back at him.

"You good"? He asked.

"Fine", she answered, waiting for a bit before she turned her back on him and began to unpack her things. After unpacking she looked at the door to find that he had gone, sighing in relief she flung herself upon her bed, and cried for the first time in many years.

Leaving her doorway, Tywin pulled out his phone and dialed to the number that he had been dreading for the last fourteen hours.

RIng. Ring. Ring. Please don't pick up, Tywin silently pleaded. Ring.

"Hello", came Ned Stark's voice through the phone.

"Hey Ned", Tywin started, but stopped suddenly unsure as what to say, "uhm whats up".

"I'm good Tywin, but it's ten thirty and you have never been one to call just to talk so of please don't flatter me and get to the damn point", Ned replied.

Tywin had always liked Ned's bluntness, but now was the time for analysis traits so he answered Ned, "you read me too well Ned, and what I'm calling about is Arya", he heard a sharp gasp on the other line, "oh its not like that". He paused for a moment to find the best way to say what he needed to say, "uhm, well what I called you about is that me and Arya our in Lannisport right now and I was wondering if you would like to fly down and have dinner tomorrow night"? Tywin felt like a five year old asking his mother if a friend could spend the night. "I think it would be a good time to talk about Arya's future", he added for good measure.

Ned stayed silent for several moments before answering in joyous voice, "Oh of course, me and Catelyn would love to come, our usual place at eight".

"Sounds great, Arya will be so happy to see you, she seems to miss you alot", Tywin said realising to late what he had said.

"Tywin don't bullshit me", he heard Ned reply in joking voice.

"Ok I made that up, but she will be happy to see you; tomorrow, eight and you know the place", he said before hanging up the phone.

Recollecting his thoughts, Tywin focused his mind on business. The Braavos deal was pretty much a done thing so that job to a low level board member would be fine. Yet it wasn't Braavos that worried him, it was dragon, the rising remains of the once powerful Targaryen business family led by their all that all she touches is holy technological ground, keynote speaking bitch of a CEO Daenerys. They were a real problem and though they had stayed out of the mobile market, rumors of them planning a Tphone had the whole industry in an uproar. Maybe he should talk to Rainbow Softwares again about that open sourced OS they were working on; "fortify your position Tywin", he thought to himself he walked by the guest room in which Arya was staying.

For a moment a Tywin stopped and listened. And what he heard shocked him, because softly slipping through the cracks of the door was the sound of crying. A long time Tywin stood there, outside her door listening, not knowing what he should do. Running his hands over his balding hand, Tywin leaned against the wall and slowly sliding into a sitting position, just listening to the soft sound of the girl crying. Gods Tywin thought, did I feel this protective of Joanna, he must have he reasoned for he had loved her and he barely knew Arya. After a while he realised that the crying had stopped and been replaced by soft snoring. Taking care not to make a sound Tywin stood and went to his bed.

Arya woke with a start and rushed to the bathroom adjoined to her bedroom, finding the toilet she released the contents of her stomach into it. Retching till it became nothing but dry heaves, waiting till the heaving passed Arya rolled to the side breathing heavily. A few minutes passed before she got up moved to get dressed.

Leaving her room she was immediately assaulted by the smell of bacon. Walking into the kitchen she saw Tywin standing over the stove cooking bacon.

"Have a seat it will be ready in a minute. Also I called your father and he and Catelyn our coming over for dinner at 8".

"Wonderful", Arya mumbled in response. Looking around the small table she saw a newspaper upon to the sports page. The headline had something to do with the coming horrible season of the Lannisport Stags, a team Tywin owned, because of mismanagement within their recruiting office. Arya had always wondered why Tywin held on to the team as it had been horrible for as long as she could remember, it's glory days long since past.

"So are you ever going to make an actually winning team out of the Stags", she asked while reading the article.

"I've tried but I've just never been able to find the right group of managers, the talents their but the upper offices is the problem, if I had the time I'd go and fix it but I don't really so I haven't", he answered her looking more interested in the bacon then the topic of conversation.

"Well you should start with firing Cregor", Arya said, talking about the Stags head coach who despite his size coached as well as a child would.

"And who would you have replace him", Tywin said looking at her.

"Anyone better would be a start", she replied as finished the article.

"I think should be the one to tell them, tonight", Tywin said.

"You think it will be easier that way", Arya answered in a flat tone though secretly she felt delighted that he was going to do the talking.

"Yes I do", he said, "I think your father will take the news from me a little better than he would from you". Arya could tell that he was lying, he knew just as well as her no matter which one told Ned he wasn't going to take it well, but why lie to her. Was he trying protect in the dumb overbearing way that men did when they where around girls? Probably she reasoned, and though she did feel insulted by his protectiveness, she was glad that he was going to be doing the talking and not her.

Sitting back and found fear starting to rise within her as she thought about the ensuing conversation with her parents. She hoped it went well but she knew that it probably wouldn't.

**Authors note: in the future this kind of turn around should not be expected but right now I would like to keep this pace. Several notes I would like to make LMG (Lannister Mobile Group) is part of the LHG (Lannister holdings group) which is what owns the Lannisport stags and while this isn't an issue yet it is a distinction that I would like to make. Thanks alot and review and I don't know other things too please**


	3. Chapter 3

**Quick note: I rewrote the ending of the last chapter to just make the story flow better so if you haven't read that go and do before this.**

It wasn't until halfway through the day until Arya had realised that she had brought nothing good to wear to supper at the Ritz with her from Braavos, which according to Tywin was her father's favorite restaurant in Lannisport. So in desperate need she had asked Tywin, who had in turned lead her to Cersei's room, where he said there were things of a young Cersei that should fit her. So now Arya sat in the room of the daughter of her soon to be childs father, trying on dresses that had been made for a fourteen year old not a eighteen year old who hated dresses. Most of them weren't so bad looking, just nothing really matched her plain style, most being gaudy things with designer name and price tags that could also be a down payment on a small house.

After a while of shifting through a mass of pink and red, Arya found a dress that she found tolerable. It was a grey dress with a simple beaded top and a bottom that reached to her knees. Arya found it quite childish, as it looked like something a middle schooler who had just discovered her breast would wear to impress a boy whose hair somehow had better volume than hers, but she needed something and it would get the job done.

"You look nice", Tywin said behind her, as he leaned against the door frame, "Cersei could never really pull it off, to plain I guess".

"I feel like a six year old", Arya replied putting on a pouting face, "a six year old that just discovered makeup and dresses".

"A little bit better than that", he replied, "and anyway we'll be leaving in twenty, just letting you know", he said before again leaving her alone in Cersei's room.

Realizing how much time had passed Arya went over a quick mental checklist of what she need, dress check, hair and makeup check, shoe's check, deodorant check, pocket book? Goddammit Arya thought to herself as she again dived into the swamp that was Cersei's closet looking for a purse. After a short search she found something that at least mildly matched her dress, stuffed her phone and wallet into it and marched out of the room.

Walking out into the foyer she found Tywin waiting for her. He wore a sharp black two piece suit with rolex on his wrist, looking every bit a polished businessman who owned several international conglomerates, and was richer than several of the smaller free cities.

"You ready", he asked as he moved outside into the waiting limousine.

The ride to the Ritz was a silent affair, Arya staring out the limo's windows, watching the fading light that cascaded and enveloped Lannisport, it was a pretty a city she thought to herself. The fading light bounced of the glass skyscrapers making it look as if the city had a great many torches poking into the sky. Arya watched as a mother and father pushed a stroller down the boardwalk basking in the late afternoon glow, smiling and laughing at some unheard joke. Their joy was lost on her as she rode in silence, looking over at Tywin she found him wearing a blank expression, showing neither fear nor giddiness.

The ride was shorter than she expected and before she knew they had arrived at a large neo-classical looking building from which soft jazz wafted and an amiable aura of voices assaulted her senses as she left the limo. Walking to the door she noticed a large number of couples in a roped off line with the word "RESERVATIONS" tacked at its beginning.

"Did you reserve a table", Arya asked, mildly worried that they would need to wait, something Arya detested with a passion.

"To be honest", Tywin answered, sounding rather amused at her question, "I haven't reserved seats in years". Tywin gave her a little twinkle of the eyes as the took the steps into restaurant, "nobody ever wants to be the guy to tell a billionaire that he'll have to wait for table", he said as they arrived at the reception desk.

He was right about the not waiting part, because almost as soon as they were at the desk they were being led to a table for four in the corner, as Tywin had requested privacy. Sitting down at the table, Arya felt butterflies take flight in her stomach as she tried to focus on the menu. It was one of those high class menu's, where everything was in french and everything pretty much a damn novel about the origins of the dish and nothing was under forty dollars.

"Ned", Tywin beamed as her parents walked to the table, "I should inform you, that you are indeed, late". Arya looked at her watch and found that her parents were indeed three minutes early.

Looking unperturbed by Tywin's comment, Ned answered in a hearty tone, "well I would be early if I hadn't had the decency to try and find you a girl for you, yah celibate idiot". Arya could almost hear her face turn red at her fathers comment.

"And how are you doing Arya", her father said as he enveloped her in a bear hug, "my you look great", he said pulling away from her, "where did you get this dress"?

"Bought it as little self indulgence", Arya said in a girly tone as she tried to think of a quick lie to tell him.

From the inquisitive look he gave her, he was not buying it, "well you look wonderful, dear", he said to her and looking to Tywin asked, "what have you done to my daughter", before laughing and stalking off to his seat with Tywin.

"You look wonderful dear", Catelyn said as she embraced Arya, " that dress does look wonderful on you, makes your eyes pop", she added before taking her seat along with Arya.

"Well this internship must be going magnificently", Ned started, looking Tywin intently in the eye, "because you have gotten Arya to wear a pretty dress, something we've been trying to do that for eighteen years and all we have to show for it is bite marks and the occasional death threat", Ned said, giving Arya one of his almost cliched 'I'm making fun of you' looks.

The Stark half table erupted into a sedated laughter, her mother and father seemingly finding the joke much funnier than either her or Tywin did. "Well she has been amazing", Tywin started, looking at Arya the same way her father would when he was particularly proud of something she had done, "you said she was good, but I believe you were wrong, she's been incredible".

Catelyn and Ned practically shown like flashlights at Tywin's praise of her. She could summarize why they were so excited, for as long as she could remember, Arya had been the problem child, getting into fights, hanging with a less than savory crowd, engaging in a mild drug problem and doing anything and everything that was unbecoming of her sex. They had spent their whole lives looking for the thing that was right for her, and they in there own minds had just found what Arya calling was, the place where she would finally be mature. I'm going to disappoint them in just a few minutes, Arya thought looking at there smiling faces as they laughed at some joke Tywin had made but she had been too busy thinking too listened to.

"So", Catelyn said as she turned to face Arya, "is there any special man in your life, or women for that matter". Arya had never been very interested in boys or well anybody for that matter, so her mothers questioning of her love life was not unexpected, and more of a necessary part of conversing with anyone in her family, especially Sansa who for the past year had lobbed man after man at Arya in a desperate attempts to get her in a relationship.

"No nothing worth noting", Arya answered, trying to sound as neutral and uncaring as possible.

"But there has been something", her mother asked, with an almost feverish look on her face, "oh and don't give me that look, I just want to know if you are having any love life", her mother added after seeing Arya's exasperated reaction to her words.

That was how the dinner went, lost of words without much being said. Arya talked to Catelyn about work and Ned when he asked about what Braavos was like and how she liked. Soon their food had come and went, Arya gulping it down having barely even tasted it. After a while Ned, Catelyn and Tywin all started to talk amongst themselves, leaving Arya to wait silently. Arya could feel her fear and trepidation start to boil, how would Ned take it, it would all be fine in the end, right?

After the dinner plates had come and been taken away, and a reasonably long period of conversation had elapsed, Tywin cleared his throat. "So several weeks ago", he started, looking between Arya and her parents, "me and Arya went out to dinner and we discussed her future". Arya looked to her parents and found them almost glowing with excitement, "and well", Tywin continued, "one thing led to another and me and her had sex". The metamorphys from happiness to shock that played across her parents faces would have been hilarious to Arya if she was not in her present situation. "And well yesterday she informed me that she's pregnant".

And there was silence, he'd said it, it was out in the open and they were going to have to deal with but in the meantime there was just silence. Arya watched as her mother looked over at her, a pained and most motherly face showing, while her father's brow furrowed as he seemed to be trying to kill Tywin with a stare. For his part Tywin stood his ground, unflinching and giving off that cold confidence that he did so often.

It was after was seemed to be an eternity before Ned broke the silence, "what"?, he said in a voice that reminded her of a direwolves growl. "You did what" anger was now visible on his with, "with my daughter".

"Ned", Tywin started, his voice giving any hint that he was afraid, "I assure you what happened between us was completely consensual.

"Oh thats great", Ned practically yelled at Tywin, "it was consensual. And now just because of some 'consensual sex' you're having a child with my daughter, real fucking comforting. My daughter", his voice began to crack as tears became visible on his eyes, "my daughter. You're unbelievable Tywin. I trusted you, I thought maybe you could show my daughter a little responsibility, but I didn't think you were gonna fuck her".

Arya began to feel her eyes water as her father went on a tirade against Tywin.

"You know Tywin if you wanted to hurt us"...He went on and on but she wasn't listening anymore as the tears cascaded down her face, "she's my goddamn daughter you FUCK", she heard him growl. Looking over to her mother's eyes she saw tears in them too, and she felt her mothers had stretch out and stroke her side.

"YOU KNOW WHAT YOU SHIT", she heard Ned roar at Tywin.

But suddenly the rage was interrupted by the much more calm and feminine voice of her mother broke in, "Ned", she said softly. Looking at her Ned opened his mouth to say something but was cut short by Catelyn, "shut your mouth Ned, and you to Tywin", she started, "I don't care what happened or how this happened or who did the happening right now", there was a fire and a passion in Catelyn's words that Arya had never heard before, an almost feral tone took her speech, "but I do know that my daughter is in a lot of pain right now, so you two will act civilised and not do anything to stupid, because I am taking Arya home".

"Which home"? Tywin asked.

"Yours", Catelyn growled, as she grabbed Arya's hand and dragged her with her out of the restaurant leaving two very stunned men in her wake.

"Lannister mansion", her mother told the driver of the limo before entering it with Arya in tow.

Arya felt her eyes burst again as the limo took off onto the highway. It only took a moment before her mom grabbed her and held Arya in her arms.

"It's gonna be ok", she said as she patted Arya's back, "it's all going to be fine". Her mother started to run her hands through her hair in the same way as she had done when Arya had been young and something bad had happened, I never used to like it when she did this Arya thought as she moved closer to her. They stayed like that for the whole ride back to the mansion, and when they arrived Catelyn swiftly led Arya to her her room.

"I'm scarred", Arya said as she undressed with the help of her mother, "I'm really scared" her voice trembling at the end.

"It's ok, it's all going to ok", Catelyn said in a voice that could probably calm a charging bull, "now go to sleep you've had a long day", Arya heard her saying as she drifted into a dreamless and restless sleep.

The silence that had rested between the two of them was pregnant with emotion. Sitting staring at an outraged Ned, Tywin sighed and said, "are you quite done"? The defeated look that Ned sent his way gave him his answer, "Ned", he continued, "if it's any consolation I am sorry, I never meant to hurt you or your daughter, and"...

Ned stopped him before he continued, "I get it, I understand, it happened and you're at least trying to be responsible for, but don't get me wrong I'm pissed". For a long moment the two men sized each other up, "well at least its you and not some dumb punk who doesn't have twenty dollars to his name". The joke wasn't funny but they both laughed anyway, but for very different reasons. "Tywin I must ask you this", Ned said the fire from earlier returning to his eyes, "will you make right by this"?

"What do you mean by 'make right'? Tywin asked confused as to what the younger man meant.

"I mean will you marry her".

Tywin was shocked, marry her, what? It took several more seconds before the more pragmatic parts of his head put order to the discombobulated mess that his mind had become, "of course if you think that is best and if she's willing to", he answered him. And again his mind revolted against him. Marry her! No, you couldn't do that, not after her, Tywin thought as he remembered Joanna. Tywin quickly shook his head and said to Ned, "you know this place does have a wonderful bar".

"You just read my mind", Ned said to him as he stood, a wry smile crossing his face, "what do you drink".

"Well usually nothing strong, but I hear they have a couple Nordo-Rando's in stock", Tywin said about the forty thousand dollar vodka that only four cases of had been made and that he was also planning on consuming.

The two billionaires sauntered up to the bar taking seats before Ned answered him, "sounds perfect", he answered as the bartender came to serve them. He looked intimidated, but Tywin thought as he would probably be intimidated if he was about to serve two of the richest men in the world.

"What can I get you", the pimpled faced whelp said in a wavering voice.

"The Nordo-Rando", Ned said, making the boys face go white, seeing as he had probably never even thought someone would drop so much on alcohol.

"Like shots, sir", he said after he was able to recover from his surprise.

"No the WHOLE FUCKING BOTTLE", Ned shouted at him, apparently not wanting to waste time.

As the bartender moved to fulfill the order, Tywin added, "how about you make that two bottles", as he removed his black Westor Express card to pay. The kid came back quickly with the bottles and two shot glasses. Opening the bottle he poured his vodka into the shot glass as Ned did the same.

"A toast", Ned started, "to the future, to our families, to your health, to my health, to the fact that the one child that I thought was gay is pregnant", Ned paused to laugh while Tywin nodded in agreement, "to all the fights to come, to all the people we will hurt, to new life, to change, to making the best of a situation, to finally saying 'fuck you Tywin', and finally to knowing that my daughter is having a child with a man thats older than me". The clinked their glasses before they both in unison took their glasses to their lips and drank.

Arya had been laying in her bed with face pressed against a pillow for several minutes as the nausea rolled through her body. She was trying to fight it, but after a while lost as she ran to the bathroom to excavate the contents of her stomach.

As Arya heaved into the toilet, she felt someone pull her hair up so to keep it from getting messy and put a hand upon her shoulder. "There we go Arya", she heard her sister Sansa say in her ridiculously annoying voice as she patted her back, "let it all out". Arya tried to give Sansa a dirty look but as soon as she turned her head to look at her another wave of nausea hit her and again she heaved into the toilet. "You know", Arya could almost hear Sansa's self-righteous pity as she spoke to her, "this was never really the way I envisioned you letting us know you were pregnant, I always thought you'd find a man before you put something in the oven, but I can't say I'm not happy for you", Sansa was never one to hide her feelings about anything, especially when she thought is was important, and Arya knew that Sansa was sorry for her. I don't need your pity Arya thought to herself as another bout of nausea pinned her to the toilet

Having finally finished heaving Arya looked at Sansa as spittle dripped from her mouth, "how long have you been here", she asked

"Oh mom called me last night; you've got a little something there, let me get that", Sansa almost sang to her as she reached for a towel to wipe Arya's mouth. "And I've been keeping watch on you ever since dad and Tywin showed up". Sansa smiled as she stared down at Arya, "oh yeah you didn't get to see that", Sansa said smiling as if she was about to tell a dirty joke.

"What happened", Arya asked.

"Oh well dad and Tywin seemed to have thought that getting drunk was a great idea after you left the Ritz with mom", Sansa's face was lit up with a massive smile as she spoke, "and well they got arrested for 'public intoxications' they had a police officer bring them back here and everything". Both sister's broke into laughter as Arya sat on the tile of the bathroom floor, "and guess where the officer had found them", Sansa said pausing for dramatic effect, "in a dance club drunk of their asses dancing to pop music".

Arya watched as Sansa rolled in laughter after finishing, I guess I just had to be there, Arya thought to herself as Sansa's laughter turned hysterical. Arya's and Sansa's relationship had never been a strong one, with Sansa being more into boy bands and chick flicks while Arya had been into sports and metal. For as long as Arya could remember had always seemed to fight over the smallest of things, from when Arya threw food on Sansa's face, to why Arya wasn't so nice to Sansa's early boyfriends, they seemed so trivial now, Arya thought. As they grew older though they had became closer than they were in there childhood, especially after Sansa had dumped Joffrey and started dating his former bodyguard Sandor. Yet the most annoying parts of Sansa's personality remained, her constant poise, her need for attention from everyone, and her ability to look at anyone and make them feel like she was judging them. "Are you quite done", Arya asked Sansa began to gain control of herself.

"Yes, yes I'm fine, you...you, well it was, it was funny", Sansa stated in a stammering voice as she followed Arya into her room. "Are you feeling alright", Sansa continued as Arya searched her bag for something to wear, "because of you know, your current state", Arya could almost hear the cogs in Sansa's head turn as she tried to think of a good way to say what she wanted to say, "it would be understandable if you didn't feel like doing anything, and well just rested", she finished giving Arya the same look that she gave when she saw a particularly sad commercial about the orphans or something of that manner.

"You know Sansa", Arya started her voice sounding angry as she pulled on a pair of sophie's to go along with her two sizes too big band t-shirt, "you don't have to treat me like that".

"Like what", Sansa replied looking surprised by the anger in her sister's words.

"Like that, like how you treat everyone around you", Arya said as she felt herself loose her temper at her sister, "like your better then them, like how you waltz around like you're the queen of the fucking world all the time, like how..."

The hurt look in Sansa's eyes stopped Arya mid sentence, "Sansa", Arya started as she about to apologize, before Sansa cut her off.

"I get it Arya, I get it, I'll be going", Sansa retorted as she made to leave the room, before Arya blocked her.

"Sansa", Arya said staring into her sister's eyes trying to do her best 'I'm sorry' face as she physically blocked Sansa's path to the door, "I didn't mean that, I'm just, I'm sorry I shouldn't have said that".

"Oh it's ok", Sansa replied as she grabbed Arya and hugged her, pulling away she looked at Arya and said, "just imagine you've got a little Arry in there", Sansa was now looking at her clothes, "and boy we need to get you something new to wear, I'm thinking we go for a little shopping spree. Go to the mall, pick up lunch, look at dresses, and sense you'll be needing them soon we could find you some nice maternity wear", Sansa practically sounded like a kid as she held Arya's hands and started to skip up and down in excitement.

Arya groaned as she felt Sansa pull her out of her room, every time Arya ever saw her, it was always this, 'Arya you need to get a new wardrobe' or something along those lines, I detest shopping Arya thought to herself, but seeing as her sister seemed quite intense about this and that she didn't feel like fighting with her sister again, she went along with it. "Sansa this really isn't necessary", she said in a feeble attempt to stop her sister, but the glare Sansa threw back at her told her she had lost any chance of escaping the coming shopping hell.

As they walked by the living room she caught sight of her father lying on a sofa looking like a zombie who had a final exam in an hour. Sansa bounded up to her mother and explained what they were to be doing and after a few moments of wheedling with her mother they were off. As they got into Sansa's bright pink Lorenta, Sansa looked at Arya and said, "oh don't give me that pouty face, you need some new clothes and anyways I wanna get you out of this place". Arya looked back at the mansion as Sansa sped off, perhaps it is good that I get away for a bit she thought to herself as her sister drove her to god knows where.

**Authors note: So for this story I will try to update at least once a week, also review if you have anything to say and thank you so much for you many views.**


	4. Chapter 4

"And this will go great on you, when you know, you're further along", the girl said as she held up a pink frilly dress that looked utterly un-Arya like. This whole trip to the mall had turned into a disaster, seeing as Sansa had dragged her into the most wretchedly girly maternity store she could find. "Oh isn't wonderful", Sansa cooed as she saw the dress."Go on try it out" she added thrusting the dress to Arya. _This is going to be a long day_, Arya thought as she entered the dressing room.

* * *

"So as far as we can tell the whole things working of a 2.3 Ghz dragon cpu, a 1.3 Ghz Unsullied Gpu and 4gb of RAM, nobody knows about internal storage but I would guess that it's in the 16 to 64 gb range, add in a 1920x1080 16:9 screen with a capacitive touch screen and who have got a beast of a phone. But thats not the end, its on the software side where it supposedly really leapfrogs anything we've got, a friend of mine who works in their r&d told me it was like 'somebody took everything everyone hates about mobiles set them on fire and made something everybody and everyone can use and will love'. Gentlemen we have a problem, this Tphone is our worst nightmare, it can destroy all and to be honest I don't know how to fight it, my company has nothing that can even compete within the next two year cycle and on the software side we're all about to get shot to hell by this thing", Jon Arryn finished sounding distressed.

Tywin and Ned were both sitting his seldom used conference room around a projector that displayed the faces of several Westeros industry leaders. "Fuck", Ned muttered softly, while shaking his head in a defeated manner, "Anyone got any idea's"?

"Lawsuits", Stannis Baratheon interjected immediately, "keep them off the continent, hell we all have political weight, how about we squeeze some special interests and get some tariffs put on the damn thing make it to expensive".

"Our you fucking retarded"? Arryn retorted, "we have to seem like the good guys in this, and that right there is not the way to do that".

"Back alley smear campaign", Ned said before Arryn could go on, "get the conservatives and the liberals talking about it, but we have seem out of it, that should give a couple months to scram together something the kids want".

"But thats our problem, we're going to lose all cool we had in the first place, we need products not a smear campaign", Arryn answered Ned angrily, "what about you Tywin, you have any brilliant ideas".

"I might", Tywin answered, "you all know of rainbow softwares", they nodded in acknowledgement, "well a couple months ago Loras, from rainbow, called me a told me about an os he was working on, he needed a partner, someone who could release it into the mobile space, since its supposed to be an multi system os. We were thinking about building a couple medium range phones for, not spending a lot on it, but I think that this can be the fix to our problem".

Everyone looked thoroughly confused by his statement, "what do you mean by that", Ned asked after a moment of silence.

"I mean multi company use of the Rainbow os, look I know we've never done something like this, but right now we need solidarity right now".

"And you want us all to destroy our product ecosystems, and throw our companies futures in with a software company that's biggest achievement so far has been making smut easy to find", Arryn said in the most contemptuous voice Tywin had ever heard.

The conference was immediately invaded by a stifling silence as Ned and Stannis looked from the fuming form of Arryn to the cold appraising impassive face Tywin was giving off, slowly and has neutral as he could Tywin answered, "yes, that is what I'm suggesting", their faces were not friendly, "look we're being faced by a competitor that is younger, trendier, and in all likeliness smarter than us, if we don't change our business strategy we will die. Face it, we're doomed if we don't change, we've always had this friendly competition thing, not strong enough to destroy each other but strong enough to keep competitors out. We need a united but separate front, beat her in every market, low, mid, high range phones hell put the damn thing on tablets, fill the market with these things that have consistency, but also keep things different between companies, compete with each other just as much as we compete with her, thats the only way we will survive, and if you don't join me, me and her and everyone who joins me will eat you alive".

"Your full of shit Tywin", Arryn said before unceremoniously disconnecting from the line.

"Anyone else", Tywin asked looking from Ned to Stannis.

"Send me a data pack on this whole thing, I'll consider it, oh and Tywin congratulations", Stannis said before also cutting the line.'

"Oh yeah I told him", Ned said after Tywin gave him a quizzical look.

"Are you in", Tywin asked not wanting know how many other people had been told about him and Arya.

"I'll think about it, give me the data pack too, but you know Arryn isn't going to join, his skulls too damn thick", Ned answered.

For the second time in several minutes the room was taken by a pregnant silence, as both men stared into each others eyes. Tywin had always thought was an odd character, straight as an arrow, never bouncing around with pretty words or intrigue, but also more honorable and kindhearted than any other man Tywin could say he knew well. Maybe that why Stark enterprises was on a slow decline towards bankruptcy, not many people knew that but then again there was not much that slipped past Tywin. "Ned", Tywin started trying to put a soft empathetic twist on his words, "I know things have been tough for your company the last couple years, but I really do think this is a great time to, well restart, rebuild the empire you once had".

"No", Ned answered sounding forlorn, "finding out about you and Arya has been tough, the last three have been hell, and if you really think this os can save my company, I would be wanting if I did not heed your words, cause Tywin like it or not from yesterday on our fortunes our very intertwined".

"We need to talk about how things are gonna be".

"Yes, yes we are".

* * *

Arya was tired, dead tired, everything and everywhere ached. God I hate shopping, she thought to herself as Sansa pulled into the Lannister mansion driveway. "Oh that was so much fun", Sansa cooed as Arya exited her car, "well I'll see you around and really that pink dress brings out your eyes". Arya shrugged as she heaved shopping bags out of the car, gods why did I agree to go with her. Entering the house Arya immediately was assaulted by the smell of pasta being cooked Dropping her bags Arya rushed to the kitchen to find Tywin wearing an apron as he scooped diced tomatoes into a pot. "Well you look homely", Arya said before he turned to look at her.

"How was shopping"? He asked as he turned to her, revealing that the apron was covered in flowers, "oh don't laugh Joanna got for me as a joke and I haven't had the heart to get rid of it". Every bit of humor rushed out of Arya at the mention of Tywin dead wife, "oh don't look so melancholy".

"You sound like my mom"!

"I'm old enough to be your mother", Tywin said giving her a hint of a smile.

"First please don't remind me of that, and second you seem to, from what I remember, lack a vagina", Arya retorted feeling her face flush in annoyance.

"You're going to be a mother soon", Tywin said his face losing all traces of joviality at his words.

"Don't remind me of that either".

"Sorry it's just weird for me to wrap my head around this", Tywin said as he waved his hands to indicate the two of them. "Oh pasta's almost ready", Tywin added turning back to his her and stirring the contents of the pots in front of him, "your parents left earlier, said they be back on tuesday but they had some business to attend to".

"Yeah I know they texted me".

They ate in silence, chewing, drinking and swallowing without a word between the two of them. Arya didn't feel like talking and thankfully neither did Tywin.

When they finished Tywin pushed his plate forward and sighed, visibly wrestling with his emotions. Before Tywin could speak Arya headed him off, "so I heard you had a little to much last night after I left", her smirk almost enveloped her face as she spoke.

"Yeah it got a little crazy".

"What has she like"?

"Who", Tywin asked clearly confused.

"Joanna" Arya answered, he hadn't ever spoken of her and she wanted to find out.

"I don't want to talk about that right now", Tywin answered his face taut and emotionless.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought that up".

"No,no its ok, I'm just not really ready to talk about her", Tywin sad looking sadder than Arya had ever seen him. "Arya can I ask you a question"?

"Of course", Arya answered.

"Arya", Tywin said as he moved to one knee and opened a box to revealing a diamond ring, "will you marry me"?


	5. Chapter 5

The wood was cold against Tywin's shifted uncomfortably against the cold wood that he sat on. His thoughts swirled as he looked at his now-for the first time in twenty years- filled bed. It was strange that his second the second to fill that space was so different than the first, more angry and feisty but not have as well put together and so unsure of herself that he surprised she had no tattoo's proclaiming how sure she was in herself. Arya was a problem, but like all problem's it could be fixed, and Tywin hoped become more of a help than a hindrance, and anyway it was about time that he had someone around him.

"If they ever make a movie about our lives this will have to be a scene," Tywin hear Arya say as she sat up in the bed, covering her breasts with a sheet.

"And why is that?"

"Because just look at our staging, this whole thing has to be a metaphor for something, like I don't know how physically close we our, yet how emotionally unattached," Arya answered with a shrug.

"Don't write books is my career advice to you," he answered in his usual cold voice, as he shifted to a side in order to cover his genetalia. They stared into each others eyes for several seconds, Arya once moving her mouth as if to say something but the words never came; she has gray eyes Tywin thought to himself, realising it for the for the first time.

"So whats next?" Arya asked as she sunk back into the bed, "our we a 'thing' or is this just casual, what about this," she pointed to her stomach, "what are we going to do about this. I don't wanna be a mother Tywin, I don't wanna be some old rich guys stay home wife, I don't want this."

"We rarely get what we want Arya, and even when we do it's usually a disappointment."

"Again you keep sounding like my father."

"This isn't a death sentence you know you can always have a career, you can always go to school, you can do whatever you like within reason, I don't intend whatever 'we' our to be that to you. I see that face, you shouldn't resent me for your own actions."

"You were there too," Arya replied as her voice rose in volume.

"I was, and I will continue to be Arya." Tywin rose and sauntered over to his dresser pulling out a pair of boxer and slipping them on, Arya eyes following him the whole time, "and anyway," he continued, "you and I will have plenty of time for resentment, I wouldn't want to get started on it so early in our relationship." Tywin turned and stared at stared at Arya until after a moment her eyes diverted themselves from his gaze and he could feel that she at least had put this argument off for another time. "You have a doctors appointment today at noon," tywin continued, " and I have business to attend to today, but before that I'm going to go on a run," after a moments pause Tywin continued, "do you want to join me?"

* * *

The run hadn't really been much of a run, more of a light jog around a three mile path that surrounded the Lannister estate. The path wrapped its way through light woods and past bubbling streams, it was a weird juxtaposition to the opulence of the manor Arya thought to herself as the two of them made there way back to the manor. There run had been a mostly silent affair with Tywin speaking nothing more than terse directions.

"You don't have to slow yourself for me," Arya started, "I'm not fat yet."

"I don't run that fast," Tywin offered in response with his usual monotone voice and blank face, as they entered the mansion through a back patio entrance. Upon entering the estate Arya was assaulted by the smell of bacon cooking and the sound of light conversation. "Now who could be here," Tywin said taking off towards the kitchen, clearly perplexed by the scents and sounds.

Arya followed him wordlessly, and upon entering the kitchen was treated to the sight of Cersei and Jaime Lannister cooking bacon. Silence echoed through the kitchen as Tywin stared at his children, and they stared back, obviously surprised by his entrance. Jaime, who looked dressed to walk down a fashion show runway, came to his senses first, "hey dad." Jaime's words seemed forced, like calling his father dad was a chore and not something he did regularly.

"What are you two doing here?"

"Well," Cersei started, her voice sounding cold, "we heard about what was happening and well we had to come, would seem like we didn't care if we didn't show up at least."

"Wait what," Tywin asked confusion playing on his face.

"You know, you and the kid," Cersei motioned towards Arya, "baby and such, never thought it would be someone so plain but whatever you like," Arya decided then that she didn't like Cersei, "anyways the media storm for this is going to be a 10 on the Richter scale but thats always manageable."

"How did you find out," Tywin didn't appear to be even fazed by Cersei ramblings and dehumanization of herself.

"Oh well you know how I have a hand in everything," a nod from Tywin, "well this report emails me some photo's, you at coffee and then three weeks later on an unannounced back from the free cities back to here, and then some snippet about you two being seen with Ned and Catelyn and well I had to investigate, oh and don't give me that stupefied face you were about as discrete as well something not discrete the news will know in a few days anyway, they know tidbits already." Finishing her speech Cersei for the first time looked at Arya, "oh you must be her," she exclaimed as Arya tried to scowl the bitch into an early grave.

"Cersei be decent," Jaime said as he moved away from the pan he had been cooking at, "anyways foods ready."

After a protracted yet thankfully short breakfast Arya excused herself. Knowing nothing better to do, Arya found herself exploring the Lannister estate. It was an impressive home, built and remodeled over a three hundred year period during the decline of the great families, Arya shook herself as the facts Septa Mordane had drilled into her in those god awful tutor sessions she and Sansa had been forced into. Arya walked up slowly a spiralling staircase and found herself standing in an expansive loft, bare of furniture its one interesting aspect was a massive windows that upon closer inspection showed the best view of Lannisport she had ever seen. Arya stood there for several minutes soaking up every detail of the expansive city that lay below her. "Beautiful aye?"

"AWWE," Arya screamed as she turned to face a smile Jaime.

"Oh sorry didn't mean to scare you." Arya stood there for a moment panting slightly lost for words, "I'll take your silence as acceptance," Jaime said before flashing her a smile so big that if she had been told that he was a super massive gas ball that emitted light because of nuclear explosions, she would have had a hard time not believing them. Jaime seemed to know she wasn't going to answer as he continued without waiting for her to answer, "I should apologize for Cersei, she's just like that."

"No need," Arya heard herself stammer out after a moment.

"When me and Cersei were little we used to come up here and try and see what it would be like to live down there," Jaime said as he moved to the window sill and rested his arms on it, "you see we didn't get out of here much and didn't have that many friends and our fantasies were about being normal, as we got older I kept coming up here, Cersei didn't." The depression of Jaime's voice made the room feel as if an overly stuffy blanket had been draped over the whole room, stifling the atmosphere to just sadness.

"Is that what its going to be like for me, with this," Arya pointed to her stomach, "going into unused rooms and staring into to the distance wishing for it to be different?"

"Back then he wasn't half as ok as he is now."

"I don't want this," the vehemence in Arya's voice surprised even her.

Arya stared at her feet for what felt like an eternity before looking up at Jaime's empathetic gaze. "Don't hurt him, please. I know he's not loving or whatever but he cares in his own way and I don't know but he has needed someone for so long and could you be that someone?"

Arya felt herself smile at Jaime's request, "Is it always like this with you lannisters?"

"Like what?"

"Dramatic."

"Oh that, to be honest its been pretty chill, and well welcome to the family."

* * *

"Yeah Ned I asked her, and well she didn't take it that well."

"By take it well, do you mean take it like Arya or anything especially dramatic," Tywin heard Ned reply across the phone line.

"Well she got angry at first and then I explained things and she calmed down and we talked about stuff for a while and next thing you know were having sex."

"This seems like a habit of yours Tywin," Ned replied with a soft laugh, "did she give you an answer."

"No and yes."

"Well no to the proposal," Tywin heard a sharp intake of air over the line, "not a very hard no but a no, but the whole parenting thing she seemed more into but nothing I can hold over her as a promist."

"Well I guess that's good."

"Oh and Ned Cersei and Jaime showed up and they seemed to know everything."

"So?" Replied ned.

"So that means that soon if not already the tabloids are picking this whole thing up, Ned it's going to leak soon and we need to head it all off."

"I'll fly in tomorrow, I'll bring my pr people you bring yours, we'll figure out a strategy to tackling this whole thing."

"Ok thanks Ned seeya tomorrow," Tywin ended the call and turned back to his bed.


End file.
